quality time
by The Loser Lord
Summary: "dude, she was willing to jump in front of a hostile ten-tailed mythical beast for your sake, like, two weeks ago. i'm sure she still likes you. just ask her out." naruhina/sasusaku.


**title:** quality time  
**summary:** "dude, she was willing to jump in front of a hostile ten-tailed mythical beast for your sake, like, two weeks ago. _just ask her out_." naruhina/sasusaku.  
**genre:** humor. romance.  
**notes:** naruhina will be the death of me. team 7 is my ot3, and narukiba is my brotp. _everyone's_ spending quality time together here hehehe.

**quality time**

It was another day in Ichiraku Ramen.

"Don't be a chicken, just do it!"

"But what if she says no?"

"Dude, she was willing to jump in front of a hostile ten-tailed mythical beast for your sake, like, two weeks ago. I'm sure she still likes you. _Just ask her out_."

Akamaru barked in agreement.

Naruto scowled at Kiba and his canine companion. It was just like that moron to suggest something that could totally and utterly _destroy_ Naruto's reputation as a respected shinobi. The boys sat together eating their lunch at Ichiraku, enjoying a quiet spring afternoon.

Following the conclusion of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, the past weeks were filled with rebirth and reconciliation, ceremonies honoring the deceased and welcoming village heroes. (In this case, every single person who limped back to their respective villages miraculously alive.) Why, even Sasuke Uchiha was welcomed back into the ranks after providing his assistance to the Shinobi Alliance Force.

Everybody was _ecstatic_.

Well, _mostly _everyone, with the exception of one scowling jinchuuriki. Naruto thoughtfully stirred his chopsticks in his bowl of ramen, allowing Kiba's words to sink into his head.

Him ask _Hinata_ out?

Naruto was certain that she liked him, hell, she told him that she _loved_ him–

"What's the problem here, Naruto?" Kiba prodded playfully, "You're, like, halfway there. Go for it!"

"_You are _such_ a little shit," _Kurama grumbled, "_Just do it. Damn._" Naruto snorted at his bijuu, "_You _shut up too!" he snapped at the fox, "I don't see _you _asking out a girl."

"_Because I can go on a fucking date with a girl from inside the gut of a spineless little _shit_."_

"Whatever, I'm not talking to you anymore."

"_Like you can walk away from me."_

"I want to!" Naruto admitted to Kiba, fully ignoring Kurama's deep chuckles, "But…"

"But?"

"_But?"_

The two shinobi stopped coldly when the curtain snapped open. Sakura, with Sasuke in tow, walked into the restaurant. Catching the last bit of their conversation; she beamed and sat down. She yanked Sasuke down into the stool between her and Naruto.

"Trying to ask Hinata out, Naruto?"

"No!" Naruto lied.

"Yes!" Kiba announced simultaneously.

"It's been two weeks since the war ended, you idiot," Sasuke said, grabbing two pairs of chopsticks; he passed one to Sakura, "You might as well do something before some asshole decides that they want to end the world."

"Because you didn't at one point, Sasuke-kun," Sakura deadpanned, earning herself a glare from her team mate. She smiled coyly and nudged him gently with her elbow; Naruto's eyes narrowed at the_ something_ curling onto Sasuke's face. The jinchuuriki debated dismissing Sasuke's almost-smile for the sake of his current crisis, but – in a very Naruto-like manner – felt himself unable to resist embarrassing Sasuke.

After all, these moments rarely came when they were kids.

"You guys are unbelievable!" Naruto shrieked, "You're friggin' _flirting_ when I'm trying to get myself together? Some friends you are!"

Sakura's jaw dropped and Sasuke choked on his water. Naruto felt something akin to smug satisfaction when he spotted the blush emerging on Sasuke's face. Sakura, after collecting herself, ignored Naruto's jab and rolled her eyes.

"Uzumaki Naruto," she said dangerously, "as your friend, I am telling you, _just ask Hinata out_!"

"And as your friend," Kiba added, "I'd have to agree with Sakura."

"And as your friend," Sasuke interjected darkly, "I'm going to have to ask you to not say anything else unnecessary or I'll have to kill you."

Naruto buried his face in his hands, feeling his embarrassment come to him in the form of heat waves, it was far too warm sitting in Teuchi's small ramen stand in his signature orange jumpsuit.

"I want to ask her out," he groaned, frustrated, "but what if she says _no_? Or her dad does? God, even _Kurama_ thinks I'm lame!"

"_This much is true_,_" _confirmed Kurama. Naruto ignored him.

"I haven't even gotten the chance to see her since the memorial ceremony," he continued, ignorant to his neighbors in the ramen stand, "I mean, I know she _just _told me that she likes me and that it seems like I just randomly decided to reply–"

"_Lame_," Kurama cut in nonchalantly.

"–but I really want to take Hinata out!" Naruto finished, rather loudly.

His response was utter silence. Naruto suspected as much; no one said anything as soon as he–

"O-Okay. Should we do something now or later?"

Naruto was sure Kurama was nearly killing himself from the humorous cruelty of it all. How could that damned fox not experience something like _second-hand embarrassment_? The kyuubi could, after all, hear Naruto's stomach acid and heartbeat, which by the way, was on its way to beat right out of his ribcage.

Taking a surreptitious glance between his fingers, Naruto's face reddened at the sight of a pink-faced Hinata, blatantly ignoring Kiba's stifled laughter and Sakura and Sasuke's less obvious amusement. The jinchuuriki hesitantly sat up.

"How long have you been here?" he asked slowly.

Hinata's light eyes darted side to side anxiously before answering, "Maybe about 10 seconds. You were shouting, so I could h-hear you all the way from the dango shop. Shikamaru-kun, Ino-chan, and Chouji-kun couldn't stop laughing."

"The _dango shop_?" Naruto said, distressed. A small peek from Ichiraku's curtain showed Yondaime's son that not only the dango shop but the _entire_ merchant district could hear his words. He groaned.

"Oi, Naruto!" Kakashi greeted, casually passing the ramen stand, "You should probably ask her now, since she's here. You know. And she heard your intentions anyway. By the way, we have a mission briefing tomorrow morning; you two Sakura, Sasuke. I promise it won't take too much time out of your _quality time together_–"

"–whatever the hell that means," Kiba added suggestively, wiggling his brows at Sakura and Sasuke. Naruto disregarded everyone else momentarily, marinating in utter humiliation.

"What do I do now?" he asked Kurama.

"_Man up, you punk!"_

"Oh. Right."

When Naruto turned to face the Hyuuga again, she offered a small, shy smile.

Returning Hinata's smile with one of his dazzling (and embarrassed) grins, Naruto reached over and grabbed her hand, "How about now?"

"O-Okay," together, the two left the restaurant, taking in the sight of many nosey villagers. Everyone cheekily grinned at the couple before shoving on their merry way, each person making a mental note to tease Naruto when they had the chance.

"Well, I think I'm gonna go train," Kiba decided, excusing himself from the counter, "See ya guys! C'mon Akamaru!"

When Kiba was out of sight, Sakura and Sasuke rounded on Kakashi, who still stood in front of Ichiraku, nonchalantly staring at his students.

"What the hell do you mean by _quality time_?" Sakura asked carefully.

Their teacher shrugged, "I think you know. Hey, Sasuke when are _you _gonna do something?"

"To you?" the Uchiha hotly replied, fighting the blush creeping up to his neck, "Keep on going and we'll see how soon."

"Promises, promises," Kakashi laughed, "don't be late for the briefing."

"Like you won't?" Sakura challenged.

"Like you aren't used to it by now," he replied, "And since you're expecting me to be late, I guess I don't have to come up with an excuse tomorrow. See ya!"

It was another day in Ichiraku Ramen and the future never looked brighter.

fin.

**notes: **super duper excited for chapter 627 tomorrow. _and that's because there's no more flashbacks! _whoop, whoop! anyway, i really like naruto's current relationship with kurama (or the nine-tails, for those who don't read the manga. whoops. spoiler), so i decided to put it in here.


End file.
